Abide by govt fee structure, pvt schools told; admission process almost complete, say parents

Mysuru: Officials of the department of public instruction asked the heads of private schools across the district, who assembled for a meeting on Wednesday, to abide by the guidelines laid down by the government with regard to the fee structure.
The fee structure, admission of students under the Right To Education (RTE) quota, transport facilities at schools and raising awareness about the environment were among the topics discussed at the meeting.
The discussion about the fee structure soon escalated into a heated debate with the management of private schools questioning the delay by the DPI in issuance of its finalised version. The heads of the private schools said that the guidelines had been issued after most of them had completed the admission process. The representatives also expressed displeasure with the unscientific method adopted in devising the fee structure.
Some of the representatives of private schools gave vent to their ire after DP officials warned them of stringent action in the event of the guidelines being violated.
When DPI officials asked the schools not to charge more than Rs 25 per application, parents, who were also in attendance at the meeting, were quick to point to the futility of issuing such a direction when admissions had been completed at most schools.
Regional transport officer (RTO) Prabhuswamy asked the representatives of the management of private schools to prioritise road safety. “It is the responsibility of the schools to ensure all the children reach home. They must take care to appoint experienced drives,” said Prabhuswamy.
Deputy chief conservator of forests KC Prashant Kumar asked all schools to cultivate ecological sensibility among the children. “We are hosting several events such as Chinnara Vanadarshana, and the scheme will be extended. Saplings will be distributed to all schools so as to help create mini forests,” Kumar said.
Senior civil judge and member and member of the Mysuru District Legal Services Authority BP Devamane, who inaugurated the event, advised those present not to judge students by their performance in academics.
Deputy director of public instruction Panduranga and other senior officials in the DPI attended the meeting.
However, chiefs and other representatives of the private schools left feeling disappointed. “The authorities did not allow us to raise relevant issues. It was a one-sided dialogue,” one of the representatives said.